Rava idli

Ingredients

1 cup upma rava/sooji
1 tbsp chana dal
½ tsp mustard seeds
1″ ginger - grated
4-5 fresh curry leaves - finely chopped
2 medium sized carrots - grated
2 tbsps freshly chopped coriander leaves
2 1/2 cup well beaten thick yoghurt
1 tsp baking soda
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
3 tbsps of cooking oil
¼ tsp turmeric powder
10 -12 cashew nuts (optional)

Method :
Heat ghee in a wide bottomed pan . On medium flame fry chana dal till lightly brown, then add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add grated ginger curry leaves, and turmeric. Fry on low flame for a minute.
Add rava and on medium flame stir fry continuously for 3 - 4 mts till a nice aroma comes out. (Take care not to burn the rava. If you see the rava turns out to be changing brown then lower the heat and fry.) Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add grated carrot, chopped coriander, 1 cup yoghurt, salt to taste, baking soda and mix well. Cover and leave it aside for 30 mts. The batter rises a little bit by this time.
Remove the cover, add 3 tbsps of oil, and the rest of the yoghurt and give it a good mix. The mixture now looks like thick idly batter.(you can add some water)
Grease idli plates, place a roasted cashew nut in the center of each idli mould, pour the rava batter over the cashew nut. Don’t over fill the idli mould. Fill it ¾ and leave the rest for the idli to rise while cooking.
Steam them covered on medium flame for around 10 mts. Turn off the heat. Let it sit for 5 more minutes before you open the lid.
Remove, and carefully spoon the idlis from the mould.
Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Simple Tomato Curry / Thakkali Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Oil - for fry
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Onions - 2 medium, chopped
Chillies - 4 to 5
Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped (optional)
Curry leaves - few
Tomatoes - 2-3 Large, chopped
Salt - to taste
1 tsp of turmaric powder
2 tsp of homemade masala/kari powder

To Grind
Coconut - 4 tbsp
Pottukadalai 4 tbs or Cashewnuts - 6 to 7
Poppy seeds (khasa khasa) - 2 tsp
Sombu - 1 tbs
Jeera - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - ½ inch

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,
2. Add chopped onions and garlic. Fry till golden brown.
3. Finally add the tomatoes and fry for about 3 minutes then add powdered ingredients.

After raw smell goes then
4. Add the ground masala paste and sauté for just a minute more.
5. Add sufficient water and allow the gravy to boil for about 10-15 minutes.
6. When the gravy is thick enough, remove from fire and serve.

Serve with Idli or dosa. It goes well with rice too.

Lemon rice

Ingredients :
1 ½ cup of cooked rice
¼ cup of peanuts
few cashew nuts
1 tbs channa dal
1 tbs urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
few red chilli
pinch of asafoetida
few curry leafs

Heat gingelly oil in a shallow pan or a kadai. Add the all ingredients one by one. Cook until dals change colour to light brown.then add curry leaves follwed by turmeric powder,lemon juice and salt. Stir fry for half a minute. Add cooked rice.

Garnish with coriander .

Moong sprout salad

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh moong sprouts
1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped/grated carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped raw mango pieces
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chopped dried apricots or dates or raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

for the dressing:
3-4 finely chopped/minced green chillies
1/2 tsp grated ginger(optional)
1/4 tsp chat masala(optional)
generous drizzle of lemon juice
few drops of honey(optional)
salt to taste

Fry the moong sprouts in a pan with few spoons of water for about 5 min. Take mixing bowl add the all ingredients one by one.(if you give lunch box you have to separate the tomato and cucumber) Then add dressing mix.

Variations: You can avoid honey,ginger in the above salad and add grated coconut to the salad.You can even add raw soaked groundnuts,chopped fresh grapes,sliced oranges/Mesambi for different flavors.

Bagara Baingan

Ingredients:
7 to 9 brinjals
1 cup of groundnuts
2 tbs sesame seeds
small qty of cocount
1 stick of cinnamon
4 cloves
1 tbs of coriander pdr
1 tbs cumin pdr
few elachi
Oil for frying
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
few g. chilli
ginger & garlic paste
tamarind juice 

small piece jaggery

Cut the brinjals into four parts but don't cut off the ends
Immediately put them in oil, fry slowly stirring occasionally till they are 70% softened.

Fry peanuts fully dont burn (add oil optionally) then add sesame seeds fry till the colour changes. Before you turn off the stove add coconut. Grind into a paste.
Heat large pot of oil fry whole garam masala, add continuously mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds. When they start to splatter add onions, curry leafs, turmeric, g&g paste.
Now add masalas (powders) one by one, and add the grounded paste with water cook for 15 min, you have to slow flame otherwise it will burn.
Add tamrind, and jaggery and cook till oil oozes out.
Add the fried bringals into the gravy
Wait for few mins, then serve hot with rice, pulaos, and chapatis and even with biryanis.

Vermicelli / Semiya Upma

Ingredients:
1 cup semiya (vermicelli)
1 onion medium size
3 to 4 green chillies
1\2 inch ginger
6 to 8 leaves curry leaves
1 tea spoon Mustard
1 tea spoon Urad dal
2 tea spoons Chana dal
1 and 1\2 tea spoons oil
1 tea spoon salt (as per taste)
1\2 tea spoon lemon juice (optional)

Method:
Heat half tea spoon of oil/ghee in a pan and fry semiya to golden color and keep it aside. Heat 1 tea spoon of oil in a pan. Add mustard seed, urad dal and chana dal. When they starts spluttering add finely sliced onions, green chillies,curry leaves and finely chopped ginger. Fry in a low flame until onions turn pink. Now add fried semiya, mix well with salt. Then cook while occasional sprinkle some water, reduce the flame and cook for 5 mins until cooked. Switch off the flame and add lemon juice (optional).
Take it into a serving bowl and garnish with fried cashew nuts.Serve hot... with chutney.

Wheat / Gothumai Dosa

Ingredients
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt per taste - about 1 tsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp(optional)
Water - 2 to 3

Thoroughly mix the batter without any lumps. The consistency of batter must be like thick buttermilk, not too watery or not too tight. Don’t let the batter sit for long time.Heat the tava over medium high and pour a ladleful of batter on the hot tawa and spread it in the shape of a dosa .sprinkle little oil on the surroundings of the dosa and cook for a minute or two.
Wait until the underside of the dosa turns to be golden and then gently turn it to the other side.cook for another minute or two.
Remove and serve hot with any chutney.


For variety 
1. You can add egg with some water instead of full water.
2. Add onions, chilli, curry and coriander leaves.